Develop Reference

One of two Android ListView filling too much space

I would like to obtain this layout for an Android app for mobile phones:
Icon - Object1
List with entries related to Object1
Icon - Object2
List with entries related to Object2
So far I have used the following layout tree (edited graphically with the editor in Android Studio):
Root-LinearLayout
Vertical LinearLayout
Horizontal LinearLayout with icon and text
ListView
Vertical LinearLayout
Horizontal LinearLayout with icon and text
ListView
May be this is not the best way to organize such layout (may be I should use lists with header, but suggestions very welcome), however it can be a good case for understanding deeper how ListView works.
This is the graphical layout generated:
the blue row corresponds to the first LinearLayout. As you can see from the second screenshot that follows, the second list goes all the way down to Hell, bringing me with her. Is there any way to make the lists respect the wrap_content+ weight behaviour?
The XML code follows. I have tried several combos (both reasonable and unreasonable) of layout:weights but none works. I also tried to set the min-width of the first LinearLayout (the hidden one), but nothing changes.
Could you please help me?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:weightSum="2">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:minHeight="50dp">
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/imageView15"
android:src="#drawable/abc_ic_menu_share_mtrl_alpha" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Object1"
android:id="#+id/textView24"
android:textSize="26dp"
android:paddingLeft="10dp" />
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<ListView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/listView2"
android:layout_weight="1" />
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:gravity="center_vertical">
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/imageView16"
android:src="#drawable/abc_ic_commit_search_api_mtrl_alpha" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Object2"
android:id="#+id/textView25"
android:textSize="26dp"
android:paddingLeft="10dp" />
</LinearLayout>
<ListView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/listView"
android:layout_weight="1" />
</LinearLayout>

It should work if you put your ListViews inside of the child LinearLayouts which hold the LinearLayout that has the TextView and ImageView. You also should be using "0dp" for the height when using weight with a vertical layout.
Something like this, I believe, should work
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:weightSum="2">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1">
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:minHeight="50dp"
android:layout_weight=".2">
<ImageView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:id="#+id/imageView15"
android:src="#drawable/abc_ic_menu_share_mtrl_alpha" />
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Object1"
android:id="#+id/textView24"
android:textSize="26dp"
android:paddingLeft="10dp" />
</LinearLayout>
<ListView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:id="#+id/listView2"
android:layout_weight=".8" />
</LinearLayout>
Note the other changes: I gave the inner-LinearLayout an arbitrary weight of ".2" then the ListView a weight of ".8". And, of course, set the height to "0dp". You may need to play with those weights a bit but I think doing something like that for both first child LinearLayouts should get you close.
That may get your current layout to work but using headers and/or an ExpandableListView may be a better option.

Overlay of layout in android

I think to do a overlay of layout, this is the code that I have now.:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#color/white">
<ScrollView
android:id="#+id/content_scroll"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/container_main"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:orientation="vertical">
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/text_search"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="60dp"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:background="#color/white"
android:weightSum="2">
<EditText
android:id="#+id/input_search"
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:hint="#string/placeholder_search"
android:layout_margin="5dp"
android:layout_weight="1.5"
android:inputType="text"
android:padding="5dp"
android:drawableRight="#drawable/ic_search"
android:background="#drawable/style_input"
android:imeOptions="actionSend"/>
<ImageView
android:layout_width="0dp"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_weight="0.5"
android:src="#drawable/img_header" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/list_search"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_marginTop="-5dp"
android:layout_gravity="top"
android:orientation="vertical">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/no_result"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:padding="10dp"
android:visibility="gone"
android:text="#string/no_result"
android:gravity="center_horizontal|center_vertical|center"/>
<ListView
android:id="#+id/search_categorias"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"></ListView>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/container_buttons_tall"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:background="#drawable/style_header">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/otherlayout1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:visibility="gone"
android:text="Other Layout" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/container_buttons_tall1"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:background="#drawable/style_header"
android:weightSum="3">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/otherlayout2"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:visibility="gone"
android:text="Other Layout 2" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/container_buttons_tall2"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="50dp"
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:background="#drawable/style_header"">
<TextView
android:id="#+id/otherlayoutn"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:visibility="gone"
android:text="Other Layout N" />
</LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
</RelativeLayout>
I want to overlay the next layouts after of the ID "#+id/text_search" with the rest, this list is the a search and show suggestions to users.
This list will overlay about others layouts that I define below, if the user want to make a search.
Are there some way easy of overlay? Or tutorial that can help me. I try to use RelativeLayout, but I didn't get to make it well.
Thanks in advance.

you can use the Relative Layout for this, but you need to specify the relations (thats why relative => relative to what)
means you have to set the postion of your +id/text_search relative to parent.
and also the elements which should do the overlayer have to be relative to parent.
todo so relative Layout uses layout properties like: below=(ID) toRightOf(ID) and so on.
you can start reading about it here:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/layout/relative.html
but for the search you want todo, there is already a good advice howto it: so i recommend reading this article:
http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/search/search-dialog.html
and doing it right, like all the others apps do it, your customers will be satisfied then (don't need to learn something new )

RelativeLayout doesn't obey parent size (with layout_weight)

I haven't been able to find a similar problem to the one I'm having on StackOverflow - basically, I have a simple XML layout with a vertical LinerLayout which uses layout_weight to make a 10/50/40 split, which is what I want (as seen below):
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:gravity="left"
android:orientation="vertical">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".1"
android:text="#string/title"
android:textColor="#color/black"
android:textStyle="bold" />
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".5"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:background="#color/green">
<HorizontalScrollView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_gravity="top"
android:fillViewport="true">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal" />
</HorizontalScrollView>
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/preview_bg"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#drawable/level_preview_back"
android:focusable="false" />
</LinearLayout>
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".4"
android:text="#string/title"
android:textColor="#color/black"
android:textStyle="bold" />
</LinearLayout>
BUT - I want the HorizontalScrollView and the ImageView to be overlayed (i.e. take up the exact same space on on top of the other), so I insert a RelativeLayout as such:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:gravity="left"
android:orientation="vertical">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".1"
android:text="#string/title"
android:textColor="#color/black"
android:textStyle="bold" />
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".5"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:background="#color/green">
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<HorizontalScrollView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_gravity="top"
android:fillViewport="true">
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal" />
</HorizontalScrollView>
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/preview_bg"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#drawable/level_preview_back"
android:focusable="false" />
</RelativeLayout>
</LinearLayout>
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".4"
android:text="#string/title"
android:textColor="#color/black"
android:textStyle="bold" />
</LinearLayout>
But when I do this, the layout_weight (10/50/40 split) breaks and suddently the LinearLayout that now contains the RelativeLayout takes up virtually all the screen in the previews.
Anyone experienced this problem or know a good workaround? I've also tried replacing the LinearLayout with the RelativeLayout directly and I have the same problem.
EDIT: Looking further into this issue, there seems to be more to it. As I commented below, I was able to get around the problem by wrapping LinearLayouts around the TextViews, though I'm not sure why that worked. Updating my SDK and plugin didn't help (though I did need to do it....)
Moving further along with my task, I hit a second problem - I was implementing a second version of the overlapped ScrollView & ImageView (which were done with a FrameLayout as suggested by Karsten) but the layout_weight problems began anew.
Testing various arrangements, it seems that the issue is very much related to the image I'm using, which is quite large in resolution. Replacing them with a smaller image corrects the issues - it looks like using large images in either ImageViews or as backgrounds to LinearLayouts tends to ruin the layouts for the entire screen.
EDIT #2: I've actually loaded the XML on to two different devices and it renders exactly as it should.... This seems to be a bug with the Eclipse XML layout viewer?
(Please excuse the poor XML formatting - the Eclipse Android xml editor is frustrating in that regard...)

The XML you've posted works fine for me in the Eclipse preview. Are you running the latest version of the Android plugin?
Note that you can replace the middle LinearLayout and RelativeLayout with a single FrameLayout:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:gravity="left"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".1"
android:text="string/title"
android:textStyle="bold" />
<FrameLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".5"
android:background="#00ff00" >
<HorizontalScrollView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_gravity="top"
android:fillViewport="true" >
<LinearLayout
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:orientation="horizontal" />
</HorizontalScrollView>
<ImageView
android:id="#+id/preview_bg"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="#ff0000"
android:focusable="false" />
</FrameLayout>
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="0dp"
android:layout_weight=".4"
android:text="string/title2"
android:textStyle="bold" />
</LinearLayout>

ListView inside LinearLayout breaking out (Android)

Been struggling with this for a while now. I have a layout XML consisting of various LinearLayouts, with separate weighting. The end result looks like this..
Dont mind the colors, its just to see the break points..Anyway, below the Terminal/Origin etc LinearLayout is a ListView which is populated using a custom adapter. The data loads fine, but then the listView "breaks out" of the LinearLayout, and takes up most of the page
(Dont mind the colors, its just to see the break points..)
ie. it flows over the View above and below.
My XML is as follows:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical"
tools:ignore="HardcodedText" >
<RelativeLayout
android:id="#+id/navigation"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="0.2"
android:background="#FF0000"
android:gravity="right" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/update"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:onClick="getFlightInfo"
android:text="Refresh" />
</RelativeLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/table_header"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="0px"
android:layout_weight="0.4"
android:background="#FFFFFF"
android:weightSum="1" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/header_cell1"
android:layout_width="0px"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="#string/cell_1_weight"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:paddingLeft="5dp"
android:paddingRight="12dp"
android:text="#string/table_header_terminal"
android:textSize="11dp" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/header_cell2"
android:layout_width="0px"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="#string/cell_2_weight"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:paddingRight="12dp"
android:text="#string/table_header_origin"
android:textSize="11dp" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/header_cell3"
android:layout_width="0px"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="#string/cell_3_weight"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:paddingRight="12dp"
android:text="#string/table_header_flight"
android:textSize="11dp" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/header_cell4"
android:layout_width="0px"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="#string/cell_4_weight"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:paddingRight="12dp"
android:text="#string/table_header_scheduled"
android:textSize="11dp" />
<TextView
android:id="#+id/header_cell5"
android:layout_width="0px"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="#string/cell_5_weight"
android:gravity="center_vertical"
android:paddingRight="12dp"
android:text="#string/table_header_status"
android:textSize="11dp" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/table_list_view"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="3"
android:background="#FFFFFF"
android:orientation="vertical" >
<ListView
android:id="#+id/list_view"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
</ListView>
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/filter"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1"
android:background="#00FF00" />
</LinearLayout>
I may be missing something glaring, but for the life of me, I cant see it. Can anyone help?
Thanks a million..

This is because you have kept LinearLayout's height(the one wrapping listview) "wrap_content".Fixing its size to some dip would solve your problem.
Also make listview's height "fill_parent" then.
EDIT :
try this way:
...
<ListView
android:id="#+id/list_view"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content" >
</ListView>
in upper two layouts,you user 0.2 and 0.4 as weight but in lower two layouts,you users 3 and 1...try it former way and see,if it can help you.also try making height of LinearLayout(the one wrapping listview) to 0dip.

Maybe it is late, but I could help someone.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:orientation="vertical">
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/linearLayout1"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:background="#ff0000">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:padding="20dp"
android:text="Content 1" />
</LinearLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:id="#+id/linearLayout2"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
android:background="#00ff00">
<TextView
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:padding="20dp"
android:text="Content 2" />
</LinearLayout>
<ListView
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_above="#id/linearLayout2"
android:layout_below="#id/linearLayout1"
android:background="#00f0f0"></ListView>
Result:

Ok.. after consulting this post I came up with a fix
Remove the LinearLayout outside the ListView, its superfluous.
Add a height of '0px' (which I've found around the web) to the ListView ensures it obeys the android:weight parameter properly.
Hope this helps.

Remove the weight of id/filter.
Let the ListView have a weight of 1 with fill_parent height.
Remove the listView's immediate parent.
One other thing you missed, is to set the weightSum=sum_of all_child_weight in your root. That should fix the problem.

trouble with nested layouts

I'm just beginning Android and have gotten myself stuck. I've made a simple app/view. The idea is draw a line-maze in the top, with motion buttons on the bottom. My app only draws an x with a couple lines in the frame, but that works. The problem is that my buttons are being drawn too far down, and are clipped in height.
I assume the problem is all in my layout xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent">
<FrameLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:layout_weight="1" >
<none.maze.MazeView
android:id="#+id/maze"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
/>
<RelativeLayout
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent" >
<TextView
android:id="#+id/text"
android:text="#string/maze_layout_text_text"
android:visibility="visible"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerInParent="true"
android:gravity="center_horizontal"
android:textColor="#ff8888ff"
android:textSize="24sp"/>
</RelativeLayout>
</FrameLayout>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="horizontal"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_weight="1" >
<Button
android:id="#+id/left"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Left"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/forward"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Forward"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
<Button
android:id="#+id/right"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="Right"
android:layout_weight="1"
/>
</LinearLayout>
</LinearLayout>

I think you shouldn't use layout_height="fill_parent" and layout_weight at the same time. Try to set layout_height="0dip" and layout_weight="1" for the FrameLayout and layout_height="wrap_content" for the lower LinearLayout. The lower LinearLayout mustn't have the layout_weight attribute.

Use Hierarchy Viewer to debug your layout. Its pretty cool.

Your entire layout is just way too bloated and ineffective. You use way too many ViewGroups. I recommend reading about RelativeLayouts and especially the entire Layout Tricks series.